The Sets from “Pillow Talk” With Doris Day & Rock Hudson

by hookedonhouses on February 23, 2009

Last week I featured the movie Down With Love, a tribute to the classic Doris Day-Rock Hudson romantic comedies of the late 1950s-early ’60s. But the truth is, there’s no substitute for the original, so today I thought we’d take a look at the fun sets from Pillow Talk. Nearly 50 years ago, “Pillow Talk” won the Academy Award for Original Screenplay and was received several nominations, including Best Actress in a Leading Role (Doris Day), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Thelma Ritter), and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration.

Jan Morrow (Doris Day) has a wonderful life–a beautiful apartment and a successful career as an interior designer. There’s just one little hitch. She has a party line that she has to share with a playboy named Brad Allen (Rock Hudson) who is always on the phone with one of his many devoted women. Whenever she picks the phone up, he’s likely to be singing to one of them (“You’re my inspiration, ________.” Insert name here.)

Well, Jan gets fed up. She reports him to the phone company, but they send a young woman over to look into the matter who is so charmed by Brad that she takes his side.

The real fun starts when Brad sees Jan in a nightclub and decides to teach her a lesson. He puts on a phony baloney Texas accent, calls himself Rex, and does everything he can to win her over. Before you can say “meet cute,” he falls for Jan for real and has to keep up the act so she won’t find out the truth!

Take a look at these fabulous sets–including the hilarious “revenge makeover” Jan gives Brad’s apartment:

Jan’s apartment with a view of New York City:

Thelma Ritter played her (always hung-over) housekeeper Alma:

Her bathroom (it looks like she has a monogram on her shower curtain and towels):

They had a little too much fun with the split-screen scenes like this one, in which both Jan and Brad are chatting on the phone while taking baths:

I would love to have her study with those views and the balcony off it!

Telling Alma that she has finally met a good man–a gentleman who knows how to treat a lady–and his name is Rex:

Brad’s Bachelor Pad:

Tony Randall played Brad’s best friend. He is in love with Jan himself and has been begging her to marry him to no avail:

In this shot you can see that the living room walls only go so high and are curved. I’d love to see what was behind there!

At Jonathan’s Country House in Connecticut:

When Jonathan (Tony Randall) discovers that Brad has been after Jan, the girl he himself has been wooing, he’s furious. He threatens to tell Jan the truth if Brad doesn’t get out of town right away. He gives Brad the keys to his country house in Connecticut. Brad says, “Sure!” And then he takes Jan along with him for a romantic weekend:

Jan finds some sheet music in Brad’s coat pocket and plays it, only to recognize the tune. “You are my inspiration, ___________.” She realizes she’s been had–Rex is really Brad. He’s busted. She grabs her things and leaves before he even has a chance to set his load of firewood down.

Brad’s Apartment – After Jan Gives It a “Makeover:”

One of the best acts of revenge in movie history, in my opinion. Check out that moose on the wall. And Jan took away his Baby Grand piano, replacing it with a pink player piano that plays–you guessed it–“You’re my inspiration.”

Note the “Home Sweet Home” sampler over his fireplace:

Brad kicks the door in to Jan’s apartment and finds her in bed (she’s hiding under the covers). She refuses to see him, but he’s not taking no for an answer:

He scoops her up and carries her, pajamas, bare feet, electric blanket and all to his apartment. One woman on the street says, “They’ll never believe this back in Wichita Falls.”

This is the first of three comedies starring Day, Hudson and Randall together. Pillow Talk was followed by Lover Come Back and Send Me No Flowers.

I took these pictures while watching the movie. It’s full of great lines, like when Jan tells Brad, “You know, not every man ends every sentence with a proposition!”

If you missed last week’s post about Down With Love, the 2003 Renee Zellweger-Ewan MacGregor tribute to Doris Day-Rock Hudson movies like this, check it out. It’s fun to compare the sets from the two.

Yay! This is one of my fave movies, but it’s been a while since I last saw it. Thanks so much for the quick visit–I’ll be watching it again soon! I, too, loved the ‘revenge’ on Brad’s apartment. Jan/Doris must be a Scorpio!

I have never seen this movie, but it sounds really cute! I’m going to add it to my Netflix list right now. Thanks for sharing the movie shots! I love her bathroom. Funny how it would be almost as elegant now than it was then.

That Rock Hudson is so dreamily handsome. I just saw this one a little while ago and now I have to go get the other movies they did together!

I so wish I had some views like Doris did (I’d never close my curtains either!), instead of my sloppy neighbor across the street who keeps trying to make her yard looks like it has gardens from Better Homes & Gardens without doing the maintenace work it requires and really just inspires a bad yards blog. Oh, and I’m so sick of looking out at everything covered in snow.

Julia, I saw this movie many years ago and loved it…this makes me want to rent it again…heck, now that I think about…I think I bought it. LOL Great movie. I definitely need to rent the others! Fun Post! You take the best pics!

Julia – Fantastic Post!!!!!! I loved every minute of this! As I was scrolling through each image I was stopped at the one where Doris Day is playing the piano at the country house…that room seems so current to me…just change out the drapes and heavy carved pillar!

Oh Julia you know I love this post girlfriend! LoL! Now I really have this hankering to go out and rent some Doris Day movies!My favorite part was the revenge scene-that was great! What girl who has had a beef with a boyfriend wouldn’t like to have that much fun getting revenge? That was awesome to sit down right after my workout and read your post~Thank You! Big Giant Smiles~Tam!

I love Pillow Talk !
It has the most gorgeous sets,clothes and the music ties it all togehter ,I am so glad to see there are others out there in love with some of the all time classic movie sets.Doris Day is so divine .
Thanks for sharing ! I could go on forever there were so many wonderful Doris Day classic sets .Each one elegant in its own way.
Anyhow thanks for making my day !
have a fantastic weekend .

Nita H.July 13, 2009 at 1:09 am

Doris’ movie with James Garner Move Over Darling (I think) is also lovely. I would love to have that house! Remember, he drives the car into the just built swimming pool in the back yard?

PaulaNovember 23, 2009 at 10:20 am

I love this movie, too! Her apartment must have been state of the art modern for that time. And I love her wardrobe for this movie, too – how classic… even her pajamas look great. And she had a different coat (and jewelry) to match every outfit! My favorite was the hooded coat she’s wearing when they’re driving out to Connecticut. The faux fur trim looks so fluffy and almost frames her face.

amandaApril 15, 2010 at 5:18 pm

I have this movie and I’ve always loved the sets. My favorite is the CT house, I’m so glad you included it.

Susan OrlieMay 11, 2010 at 10:51 pm

LOVE, LOVE Doris Day! That Touch of Mink, Send Me No Flowers, Pillow Talk, and Move Over Darling are my favorites. Thelma Ritter is the show stealer of Pillow Talk…she’s a great nosey insurance company nurse in Rear Window too. The houses in Doris Day movies…favorites of mine…house in Send Me No Flowers and the CT house in Pillow Talk. Remind me of Lucy and Ricky’s CT house in I Love Lucy. Love what you do…can always just dive in and find something fun. I’m taking a sabbatical from design to homeschool my kids but have to get my fix every now and then. Had dinner with my old editor that I used to do design and styling for and our favorite photographer on a shoot a couple of weeks ago and felt the tiny itch….but your blog and a couple of others scratch it for me for now!!
Keep it up!!
Susan

ChristinaAugust 11, 2010 at 8:52 pm

True! Rear Window was great. Thelma was great as the insurance nurse. Poor James Stewart ended up breaking both of his legs. Great movie. Grace Kelly had such class and so pretty. It’s such a shame she died so young. She was pure class as well as James.

ChristinaAugust 11, 2010 at 8:46 pm

I love this movie and I love Doris Day’s apartment. She played the role of an interior designer. She has so much class and of course Rock Hudson was great in this role as well. One of my all time favorites. As she said in the movie, ” I have a great apartment, a great career, a great life,” etc., don’t remember the rest, but it was a great part of the movie. The house keeper Thelma Ritter, so funny, was always trying to set her up with everyone … and then she meets Rock and boom she’s in love, although he’s lying to her. Great movie!!

ChristinaAugust 26, 2010 at 7:27 pm

I love this movie and I love Doris Days apt. It was great and what better place to live than in NYC? My dream! I’m studying interiors like she did and it’s funny. I never realized that till I saw this movie again. It’s so funny and cute. I loved Rock and Doris’s movies. Fantastic one to put up. Huge fan of hers!!!